By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 1654
         76R1798 MI-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the regulation of private sewage facilities; providing
 1-3     a criminal penalty.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 7, Water Code, is amended
 1-6     by adding Section 7.1735 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 7.1735.  VIOLATION OF RULE OR ORDER RELATING TO SEWAGE
 1-8     DISPOSAL SYSTEM.  (a)  A person commits an offense if the person
 1-9     violates a rule adopted by the commission under Chapter 366, Health
1-10     and Safety Code, or an order or resolution adopted by an authorized
1-11     agent under Subchapter C, Chapter 366, Health and Safety Code.
1-12           (b)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 7.189, Water Code, is amended to read as
1-14     follows:
1-15           Sec. 7.189.  VENUE.  (a)  Venue for prosecution of an alleged
1-16     violation under this subchapter is in:
1-17                 (1)  the county in which the violation is alleged to
1-18     have occurred;
1-19                 (2)  the county where the defendant resides;
1-20                 (3)  if the alleged violation involves the
1-21     transportation of a discharge, waste, or pollutant, any county to
1-22     which or through which the discharge, waste, or pollutant was
1-23     transported; or
1-24                 (4)  Travis County.
 2-1           (b)  Venue for prosecution of an alleged violation described
 2-2     by Section 7.1735 is in justice court.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-4           SECTION 4.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
 2-5     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
 2-6     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
 2-7     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
 2-8     before that date.
 2-9           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
2-10     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
2-11     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-12           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.